Winter Flowers Blooming
by The Damned Goddess
Summary: It was never really broadcasted. Everybody knew something happened to Stephanie. She was Captain America, the Country's sweetheart who traveled across the US kissing babies and selling bonds before she went to Europe and really sent shit to the fan. They never said what happened to her. But people sure as hell noticed the new "Captain America". ((Bucky is Captain America.))


**Author's Note: I don't even know any more.  
So, I was reading Tempest in a Teapot by Avacoda Love(Awesome story, you guys should read it.) on AO3.  
Then I decided to write my own version of Captain Bucky.  
And then I turned Steve into a girl.  
And then they just kind of shipped themselves together. You know, in the first chapter?  
I mean, what the hell? I don't even ship Stucky that much? I'm much more of a Stony fan.  
I only have the first and part of the second chapter written so far, but I do have a scene I really wanna get to which had started the whole "Steve is a girl and married to Bucky" thing.**

**I posted this on AO3, same name and same username.**

**Chapter 1- All things have a beginning**

Stephanie Rogers was a sickly girl. Always had been, and she was sure she always will be.

She was content.

At lease she said she was, and Bucky Barnes was in no position to argue with her over whether she was happy or not.

Last time he tried that, she threw a book at his head and it actually connected. And it fucking hurt. Not that there had been a lot of force behind it, with Stephanie being about ninety pounds soaking wet, but the corner of the book had caught him. Then she began to apologize profusely.

Stephanie was a very pretty girl, with light blonde hair and big blue eyes. If only she wasn't so thin, and always dressed in threadbare clothing. She never wore make-up. They couldn't afford it, and she said she didn't mind. It wasn't like she went out on the town, other than when Bucky dragged her out. She was also very kind and caring, with a bit of a fire in her. She stood up to men who could easily break her in half, and the only reason she probably hadn't been beaten to death was: 1) they were hesitant to hit a dame, and 2) Bucky wasn't too far to step in and drag Stephanie off.

And, for some reason, there weren't men lined up outside the door to try their chances at getting such a wonderful dame. Not that Bucky minded. He didn't want to be fighting men off his best friend. But when he brought it up, Stephanie would laugh and say it's because "men didn't want a girl who look like she would break if she tried to dance with them", which would cause Bucky to frown at her.

Bucky tried to save money to get his best friend nice things. She deserved the things other women had. The nice clothes, the make-up, and all those things that women liked. She worked two jobs, one as a waitress at a small dinner down the street and the other drawing for newspapers, and still took care of him. She always had dinner waiting for him, and cleaned the house on her days off. She put up with the rumors that floated around about her, living unmarried with a man and all.

Even when he tried to buy her nice things, something came up that needed to be fixed. The windows needed to be fixed up, and Stephanie was getting sick from the cold draft that came through, the sink was busted beyond what he could repair, or (by his fault) the radio got busted and Stephanie couldn't listen to it to make clean a bit more bearable, or she needed medicine.

He really didn't know how it happened. One moment, he was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper while Stephanie bustled around making breakfast as a start to their day, and the next moment he realizing something.

Stephanie, dressed for work in her light yellow dress with her hair pinned in place, was beautiful. This, Bucky had realized many times, and he always told her so and was laughed at by said woman. What he never realized was, he was completely and totally in love with this beautiful creature, even with her sickly nature and fiery temper that threw books at him.

"What's the matter, Buck?" She asked when she noticed he was staring at her as she placed a plate in front of him.

He shook his head. "It's nothing," He said simply. She looked at him a moment longer before shrugging and sitting down to eat her breakfast.

"You aren't coming down with something, are you?" She asked, concerned. "Maybe you should call in to work today. We can afford it."

'Afford it' meaning she would pull extra hours at the diner.

"Nah, I'm fine. I swear, Steph." He told her, and she dropped it. Verbally, at lease. That night, he had come home to find her cooking chicken soup.

ῲ

They lived in perfect harmony. Well, sort of perfect harmony.

He never told her that he loved her, and she never asked nor suspected. She did notice that the amount of women he dated decreased to basically zero, and when she asked he would say he had other things on his mind.

Stephanie (correctly) assumed there was a girl who caught his attention, and kept after him, asking who it was. He refused to tell her, and kept up the claim that there was no girl. When he made those claims, Stephanie would try to push the subject until she gave up, flinging her hands into the air and storming off to angrily scrub at the kitchen counter.

Eventually, she gave up on trying to find out who it was and just started giving him advice on how to get "this mysterious dame".

He was content to just be her friend, honestly.

Stephanie deserved better then him. She deserved a fella who could buy her nice things like jewelry and pretty dresses. She deserved somebody who could support her, so she didn't have to work two jobs and turn the thing she truly loved into something she had to do when they were strapped for cash.

She deserved somebody like Howard Stark, who could give her the world and moon if she asked for it.

Not somebody like him, who couldn't even afford to buy her a pair of stockings.

Then America entered the war.

He knew that she wanted to help, to volunteer, to be a nurse like her mother had been. But, in truth, she never would be allowed to. At least, not how she wanted to be. They would never send her to the front lines to help the wounded and dying. She was just too goddamn sickly for that. Chances where, she would catch something out there.

They managed for a while. Things where scarce, and prices went up.

He considered joining the army, but quickly dismissed the idea.

He didn't want to leave Stephanie to fend for herself. Even with both of their incomes, it was hard for them. Granted, he would send his wages. That was a given, even if she wouldn't want to take them. But, he also didn't want to be apart from Stephanie.

But, eventually, that choice was made for him.

He was conscripted into joining the army, into the war he just might not return from.

He hide it from Stephanie. He didn't want her to worry. So, he simply didn't tell her.

He kept it from her until a week he was scheduled to ship out, when she found the papers.

He honestly was going to tell her that night. He had everything planned out. He was going to wait until after dinner, and then he was going to tell her everything. And he did mean everything.

When he came home from work, he knew there was something bothering her. She was banging around the kitchen, slamming the fridge door, angrily knocking pots and pans together, and calling a greeting to him in a way to sugary sweet voice that he had learned a long time ago was a warning. He stayed well away from the kitchen, knowing better then to invoke her wrath. As skinny as she may be, she was also currently near knives.

They sat down for dinner, her with lips pressed in a thin line.

He didn't question it, knowing if she wanted him to know she would say something. Plus, he had other things on his mind. Like how to avoid being murdered when he told her.

"How was your day?" She asked, in that tight forced-sweet voice. Well, that ruled out her being angry at anybody but him. He knew he hadn't done anything to incur her wrath. Yet.

"Alright, I guess." He shrugged as he dug into his dinner. "Nothing new."

"Oh really?" Her voice was pitched higher and had him looking up in slight terror. "Nothing like, oh, you've been conscripted to fight in the war and conveniently forgot to tell me?"

Bucky cursed as he dropped his fork.

"Don't worry, Buck." She went on to say, throwing her napkin down on the table, next to her untouched plate. "I understand. I mean, I'm just your childhood friend. It's not like I'm that dame that you never tell me about, who apparently won't even look your way." She stood, barely holding back tears. "I completely understand."

She turned on her heel, heading to her room, as he stood.

"Steph, I was gonna tell you, I swear." She stopped, but he could tell by the way she held herself she was still unbelievably pissed at him. Women. "I w_as_ going to tell you tonight." He walked up behind her. "I think we have a few things to talk about."

She refused to face him. "Like what?" She asked. He could hear the tears in her voice. Goddamn it, he hated when she cried. He hated it more when she cried because of him. He always had, and always will, hate when she cried. It made a heavy weight settle in his gut, and made him want to punch whoever caused her pain. It was something that had gotten him into trouble many times when they where children.

"Marry me." She spun to face him, red-rimmed eyes wide and mouth open in shock. "Hear me out, before you say anything." He took her hands in his. "I'm in love with you, Stephanie Josephine Rogers. I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, standing up to bullies, knowing they couldn't do anything because you were a girl and they weren't. I didn't tell you about me being conscripted because I didn't want you to worry about me, plus I was trying to figure out a way for you to be taken care of. I _would_ date you proper like, but given the circumstances." He shrugged, wincing to himself slightly. "If anything where to happen to me while I was gone, I want to make sure you are taken care of." He pulled out the ring, his mother's ring, out of his pocket. He didn't get to continue before she threw herself into his chest, sobbing slightly.

"I always worry about you, you jerk." She said, as he slowly raised his arms to encircle her. "I don't want you to regret marrying me." She began to pull away, but he pulled her back.

"I could never regret marrying you, Steph."

ῲ

They went to city hall the next day. Not only could they not afford a big wedding, but they didn't have time for a big ceremony. Stephanie said she didn't want one, anyways. Bucky knew it was a lie. He knew she wanted to have a wedding in the church her parents attended, where she was baptized, ever since they were kids.

When he got back, he told himself, he was going to give her the wedding she wanted. He would give her everything she wanted, he would make sure of that. He would get a nice job, and they would move out of that tiny apartment and have a kids and a dog. Not a cat, though. Stephanie was allergic. They would get a dog, maybe one of those small yippy things if she wanted it.

Stephanie wore her best dress, and put on the little makeup she had. They were appointed witnesses by the courts, because they had nobody to come out to witness them signing the papers.

To celebrate, they went to the Stark Expo and they went dancing.

**A/N: God, first chapter is kind of sappy. Can't wait till I get to the killing things part. IF I end up there. I really hope I do.  
Comments are much appreciated.  
You randomly showing up on my doorstep with peppermint is more appreciated. (I'm kidding about the peppermint. Please don't show up on my doorstep. I will call the cops.)**


End file.
